US begins Iraq crackdown as soldiers found deadThe US military launched a huge operation yesterday to crack down on insurgents in Iraq as the civilian administrator, Paul Bremer, promised that America would "impose" its will upon the country. -Guardian - 6/30/03

For US troops in Iraq, safety vs. diplomacyAmid the surge of lethal attacks against US troops in recent days, the work of the soldiers here in Al Haswa shows the tightrope troops walk as they balance security with trying to win the hearts and minds of regular Iraqis. -Christian Science Monitor - 6/30/03

Iran Says $2.5 Bln Oil Accord with Japan May Be Delayed Iran, holder of the world's fifth- largest oil reserves, expects a contract with Japan to tap the Middle East nation's biggest oil find in 35 years may be delayed by intervention from U.S. officials, a government minister said. -Bloomberg - 6/30/03

Straw categorically rules out military action against IranBritish Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, visiting Tehran Monday, categorically ruled out using military action against Iran if it refused to accede to US-led demands for more intrusive inspections of its civilian nuclear programme - 6/30/03

Iran's Ali Shariati: Intellectual in the BoxThere is an old joke that someone was asked: “Do you have historical monuments in your country?” And he answered: “No. But they are under construction.” Ali Shariati was in the business of making historical monuments. -Bahman Aghai Diba - 6/30/03

Iranian Opposition Movement's Many FacesWhat is not in dispute is that the Mujahedeen Khalq, or People's Mujahedeen, the Iraq-based Iranian opposition group the Rajavis lead, has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States State Department and the 15-country European Union. Now, in an unintended consequence of the American-led war against Iraq, the United States and France are struggling to figure out just who these people are and what to do with them. -New York Times - 6/30/03

Iran's "Javan" daily banned A court here on Sunday suspended the Persian-language daily Javan for charges of spreading falsehoods and not specifying the name of the publisher. - 6/30/03

Iran Is Trying to Curb Porn and Politics on WebIt is sometimes called Iranian porn. It appears on certain Web sites that specialize in mocking the Islamic Republic's puritanism, featuring women with hair tumbling out of their head scarves or exhibiting deep décolletage at family gatherings. -New York Times - 6/29/03

Iran former president says 0pponents of Islamic Revolution failedPointing to the recent unrest in Tehran and some other parts of the country, Rafsanjani said the US President George W Bush has announced his support for a group of hooligans who have tried to set public assets on fire and destroy them. Such a move by the US president is surprising, he added. - 6/29/03

Palestinians back trial ceasefire There was cautious optimism that the Middle East's road-map to peace has found a tentative way forward yesterday as three Palestinian militant groups prepared to formally announce a three-month ceasefire. -Guardian - 6/29/03

Straw to press Iran on weaponsUK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has arrived in Tehran, where he is expected to press Iran over its nuclear programme. -BBC - 6/29/03

Thousands held over Iran demosIn the capital Tehran - the focus of the unrest - 800 people were arrested. They include Abdullah Momeni and Mahdi Aminzadeh, leaders of the biggest student organisation, the Unity Consolidation Office. -BBC - 6/28/03

Is Iran Building Nukes? An Economic Analysis (Part 2)The Bush administration argues that nuclear power generation makes no sense for an oil-rich country like Iran, implying that the country's power plants are for arms manufacture. The authors examine the facts. -Pacific News Service - 6/28/03

Straw steps up pressure on Iran The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, is to visit Iran next week as part of the government's escalating campaign against the country's alleged nuclear programme. Mr Straw is to warn its rulers they must "urgently" allow wider access to nuclear weapons inspectors, officials said today. -Guardian - 6/28/03

An Iranian Prostitute's Electronic Plea for HelpIn an online diary and radio interview, an Iranian woman selling herself to survive documents her ordeal and the plight of many women in Iran. The student rebellion against Iran's clerical government, the author writes, could change her fate for the better. -Pacific News Service - 6/28/03

Iran says UK's Straw to debate issues of mutual interest in Tehran visitThe British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will arrive in Tehran on Sunday for a two-day state visit. The visit follows Iran's formal protest to British Ambassador in Tehran Richard Dalton last Tuesday over remarks made by Prime Minister Tony Blair that were considered to be an interference in the country's internal affairs. - 6/28/03

Post-9/11 Immigrant Roundup Backfired - Report Measures take by the U.S. administration against Arab and Muslim immigrants after the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against New York and the Pentagon have not only failed to protect U.S. security, but may have made it more vulnerable, according to a major report released here Thursday. -Common Dreams - 6/28/03

Iraq: Shi'a Holy Cities Regaining Their Former Prominence The Iraqi cities of Al-Najaf and Karbala are home to the most sacred shrines of the Shi'a branch of Islam and are centers of Shi'a theology and learning. The importance of the two cities is acknowledged all over the Shi'a world. -RFE - 6/28/03

Iran: Ayatollah Jannati calls firm dealing with riotersHe called on the Judiciary to adopt tough measures against trouble-makers who were behind the recent unrests in the country. The offenders should know the price they have to pay for their crimes and offenses, he warned. - 6/28/03

Is Iran Building Nukes? An Analysis (Part 1)The Bush administration is turning up the heat on Iran over its alleged nuclear weapons program, but the authors say the evidence just isn't there. -Pacific News Service - 6/27/03

Shadowy Neo-Con Adviser Moves on IranThroughout his career, Ledeen has insisted that war and violence were integral parts of human nature and derided the notion that peace can be negotiated between two nations. He was a fierce opponent of the Oslo peace process. ''I don't know of a case in history where peace has been accomplished in any way other than one side winning a war (and) imposing terms on the other side,'' he said two years ago. -IPS - 6/27/03

Open Letter to the Iranian Opposition LeadersThese are indeed crucial days in our nation's history. If it's not already too late for them, the hardliners of the Islamic Republic have very little time to respond to the demands of our nation's democrats to drastically shift the center of power to the liberal factions of the government in order to survive. -Mohsen Moshfegh - 6/27/03

The InvisibleThe human cost of the 21st century's first war is already enormous. In addition to those who have died, staggering numbers have been detained around the world in violation of their human rights and international law. -Common Dreams - 6/27/03

Iranian art arount the globeSix Iranian Films in Poland; A number of Iranian artists were among the 117 international participants at the 6th Sharjah International Art Biennial.; Artwork by Seyed Alavi in California; ... -Tavoos - 6/27/03

Militia Trained in Iran Controls a Tense Town in IraqThe Badr Brigade, a militia group whose members trained in Iran during the long rule of Saddam Hussein, controls this town of 50,000 people where six British soldiers and four Iraqis were killed in a firefight this week, residents said today. -New York Times - 6/27/03

IRAN'S SEEDS OF LIBERTYAS the Iranian opposition to the mullahs gathers momentum, a chorus of self-styled experts in the United States is trying to belittle the pro-democracy movement, presenting the Khomeinist regime as a solid and urging Washington to seek détente with Tehran. -Amir Taheri, NY Post - 6/27/03

US widens postwar Iraq reviewThe Pentagon has sent a team of outside policy experts to conduct an independent review of postwar operations in Iraq amid growing criticism that the US failed to prepare adequately for occupation. -Financial Times - 6/27/03

Iran: Tehran's "Weather" is getting hot A kind reader reminded me that Iranians do not need to be preached from outside. I agree with him 100 percent and more. We don't need to be preached period. We have been preached too much and for too long. This time, the people, the future, the youth, hopefully have realized that it is up to them to make it happen. If they want change then they must do something about it, take responsibility and be prepared to pay the price. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 6/26/03

How not to win IranPresident Bush's encouragement of student demonstrations in Iran may be satisfying neoconservatives in Washington who are pressing for a policy of "regime change," but it is not helping the pro-democracy movement inside Iran. -Bahman Baktiari, Christian Science Monitor - 6/26/03

Revolution in Iran missing key ingredient -- the militaryThe Bush administration dearly would love to see the Islamic Republic overthrown in a democratic revolution. But while Iran possesses some of the ingredients that were present in other countries that experienced democratic revolution in recent years, it does not have all of them -- yet. -Mark N. Katz, Baltimore Sun - 6/26/03

Islamist, Marxist, TerroristArt lovers know Auver-sur-Oise, north of Paris, as the backdrop of Van Gogh's most famous paintings. The French anti-terrorist police, however, see it as the nerve center of the Iranian Mujahedin Khalq -- or "People's Combatants" -- an Islamic-Marxist sect. -Amir Taheri, WSJ - 6/26/03

One US soldier, three Iraqis dead in latest attacksThe latest deaths were a further sign that hit-and-run attacks against US forces are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated, to the point where they could pose a serious challenge to the forces trying to rebuild Iraq. -Guardian - 6/26/03

US plans for Iraq 'flawed'A senior American official who spent two months helping the United States' post-war effort in Iraq has strongly criticised reconstruction plans. -BBC - 6/26/03

Graphic Equalizer (interview with Marjan Satrapi, author of Persepolis)But it is when Satrapi discusses Iran-U.S. relations that she becomes the most animated. She still despises the regime, one that keeps much of the oil-rich country in poverty, jails journalists, deems women unequal to men and operates under a constitution that hampers the efforts of reformers at every turn. Nevertheless, she believes there's hope for Iran -- if the United States doesn't interfere. -American Prospect - 6/25/03

Keep Your Hands Off Iran, Please!Fifty years ago I was also young, and a student in Tehran. Those days most student strikes and political demonstrations began at senior high school level, and then gathered momentum in the streets of the Capital. Iran's population was somewhere around eighteen million, and Tehran, perhaps 500,000. -Kam Zarrabi - 6/25/03

Letter from Tehran Neither George Bush, nor Mohammad Khatami, neither the anti-war Europeans nor the 'innocent' Palestinians nor the Conservatives really give a damn about us. They all have their own agendas. The reformists care about their reforms and their so-called freedom and democracy. Meanwhile our lives are plundered.-Guardian - 6/25/03

Firefight Over IranThe next challenge: to help reformers in Tehran while stopping the ayatollahs from going nuclear -Newsweek - 6/25/03

Troops 'killed by civilians'Tension between British troops and Iraqis reluctant to disarm could have led to the killing of six servicemen, Prime Minister Tony Blair has told parliament. -BBC - 6/25/03

Expert Said to Tell U.S. Legislators He Was Pressed to Distort Some Evidence A top State Department expert on chemical and biological weapons told Congressional committees in closed-door hearings last week that he had been pressed to tailor his analysis on Iraq and other matters to conform with the Bush administration's views, several Congressional officials said today. -Common Dreams - 6/25/03

American rhetoric brings on feeling of déjà vu Here we go again! Now it's Iran which is developing weapons of mass destruction and has links to terrorist groups - or so we are told by the Bush administration, backed up, of course, by its faithful echo, British Prime Minister Tony Blair. -Linda S Heard, Gulf News - 6/25/03

Dear Ayatollah Ali KhameneiYou do not know me, yet nothing I know about you makes me think that I would like you if we met. Neverthless, we do have some common concerns. I therefore decided to give you some comfort and advice. -Gabriel Ash, Yellow Times - 6/25/03

One killed in quake in western Iranian city of Aligudarz One person was killed as a quake with an intensity of 4.3 degrees on the Richter scale hit in western city of Aligudarz on Tuesday night, said Ali Barani Biranvand, head of provincial Natural Disasters Headquarters in Khorramabad, Lorestan Province - 6/25/03

Suspicions grow of Paris-Tehran deal on terror Iran may have struck a more cooperative tone over the al-Qaida suspects in its custody in return for France cracking down on exiled opposition groups, Tehran newspapers reported yesterday. -Guardian - 6/25/03

Blair comments outrage IranThe British Ambassador in Tehran, Richard Dalton, has been called in by the Iranian foreign ministry to receive a verbal protest over remarks made in the UK Parliament yesterday by Prime Minister Tony Blair. -BBC - 6/25/03

US Congressional panel blasts Iran, calls for dialogueCapitol Hill today hosted the "Panelist Briefing on US Policy Options on Iran" with several Middle East and Iran experts. The panel, hosted by House representatives Vic Snyder (D-AR) and Bob Ney (R-OH) included four distinguished speakers; Lee Hamilton, former ranking member of the House International relations Committee, Kenneth Katzman, a specialist with the Congressional Research Service, Giandomenico Picco, former Under Secretary of the UN, and Bruce Laingen, a former US hostage in Iran. -NIAC - 6/25/03

To Live or not to Live: This is the QuestionHow awful it is when one feels and experiences oneself absolutely ignorant and shaky and uncertain, unable to decide and do anything. This is the kind of feeling I have been increasingly experiencing as the 'political' events in Iran escalate. The only thing I know is that I love Persia ... -Roya Monajem, Tehran - 6/24/03

Iranian interior minister says unrest has fizzled outIran's Interior Minister Abdolvahed Moussavi Lari speaking in the city of Qazvin south of Tehran on Monday said several days of unrest in Tehran and some other cities had subsided in the wake of measures taken by the country's security and intelligence officials - 6/24/03

Iran's In The Crosshairs Of Bush's Bombsight Any regime in Iran, clerical, royal, or otherwise, will seek nuclear weapons. A nation of 68 million with great oil wealth, which lost 500,000 men in the U.S.-promoted 1980 invasion by Iraq, has as much right to nuclear weapons for self-defense as Britain, France, India, or the U.S. -Common Dreams - 6/24/03

Poll: Majority Backs Use of Force in Iran Most Americans would support the United States taking military action to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons despite growing public concern about the mounting number of U.S. military casualties in the aftermath of the war with Iraq, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. - 6/24/03

Respect Iran's sovereigntyDear Mr. President (Bush), We are writing because the history of the world is at a crossroad. On Friday 20th of June, Mr. John Bolton of the State Department, announced to the international media that you are putting all your “options are on the table,” in dealing with Iran’s alleged nuclear weapon ambitions. -Taymaz Rastin - 6/24/03

Iran Balancing GameIf Washington launches a "crusade" against Iran's conservative clerics, the Europeans, chastened by their experience during the crisis in Iraq, would almost certainly lend their support. If that happens, Russia would find itself in a sticky situation. -Moscow Times - 6/24/03

Vetting of overseas students to be tightened in UKMinisters were yesterday accused of compromising academic freedom after universities agreed to tighten a controversial vetting scheme for overseas research students aimed at preventing terrorists from infiltrating British laboratories and obtaining biological, chemical or nuclear materials and know-how. -Guardian - 6/24/03

US soldiers risk own goal in football challenge to Iraq In the present state of lawlessness in Baghdad, Iraqi fans are as capable of firing rocket-propelled grenades during a football match as they are of lobbing a few toilet rolls. But the US army insisted that tonight's game is going ahead anyway. -Guardian - 6/24/03

Jobs gap 'fuelling' Mideast radicalismThe potential labour force in the Middle East and North Africa region will grow by an alarming 40 per cent in this decade, underlining the urgency of reforms to counter social pressures and radicalism caused by economic hardship. -Financial Times - 6/24/03

Anarchy Engulfs the New IraqThe war ended 10 weeks ago, but neither peace nor freedom prevail as the US struggles to keep control -Common Dreams - 6/24/03

Cover Your HairStill no luck in my quest to help the administration find Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. But meanwhile, I'm getting the impression that America fought Saddam, and the Islamic fundamentalists won. -New York Times - 6/24/03

A Risky Gambit for Global Gas SupremacyRussia and the United States are locking horns in Central Asia in a politically charged battle for global gas supremacy that will largely determine the fate of Gazprom, the government's single largest source of budget revenue. -Moscow Times - 6/24/03

Huge cash supply contributing to steep price hikes in IranThe huge supply of cash circulating in the economy accompanied by huge allocations to state bodies have, among other factors, fueled price increases in most commodities and public services in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-June 20) - 6/24/03

Deterring Regime Change in Iran?Unfortunately, an aggressively proactive stance on the part of the U.S. government is more likely to make things in Iran worse rather than better. It might even stifle or short-circuit what seems to be an ongoing process that seems likely to bring significant change to the repressive Iranian regime some time in the foreseeable future, if not necessarily as quickly as some of us might like. -Antiwar.com - 6/24/03

In Iran, Student Activist Pays Price for Democracy PursuitsAbdollah Momeni is a student on the run. The university activist began challenging Iran's Islamic regime seven years ago, and since then he has seen peers get arrested, jailed — and even risk their lives to fight the system. -Los Angles Times - 6/23/03

Iran 'identifies' al-Qaeda suspectsIran says it has identified most of the al-Qaeda suspects it is currently holding in custody, but has refused release any of their names. -BBC - 6/23/03

No Secretary Straw - President Bush Is RightDear Secretary Straw, Your expressed reservations about President Bush’s vocal support for the Iranian students, although well intentioned, are totally unfounded. -Reza Ladjevardian, Texas - 6/23/03

FILA lifts wrestling ban on Iran: TaleqaniPresident of Iran's Wrestling Federation (IWF) announced in Tehran on Sunday that the world wrestling's governing body FILA has lifted its four-year ban on the country - 6/23/03

Proliferating Iranian weblogs give voice to taboo topicsA proliferating form of alternative expression in the Islamic Republic, such online journals are a fascinating insight into a closed society, airing issues that may be taboo in public and revealing the underground lives of many young Iranians. -Christian Science Monitor - 6/23/03

Insecurity drives WMD proliferation - ElBaradeiIn an interview with the FT, Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, also warned that ending the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East required addressing the root causes of insecurity in the region, including the Arab-Israeli conflict. -Financial Times - 6/23/03

Tehran Art SceneRecently many young artists have been doing installation work but the one that I went to recently was different in a sense that it was a Performance Art and installation work. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 6/23/03

Friendship arrives in their e-mail inboxLorilee Evans-Lynn, an English teacher at Big Sky High School, agreed to test the pen pal project in Missoula this spring. About 60 BSH students wrote letters to Iranian students. But the letters arrived at the Iranian schools a short time before students there were set to begin exams. Only about a half dozen Iranian students replied. -Missoulian, MT - 6/22/03

Buy One, Get One FreeStudents in Iran are rebelling against the Ayatollahs. Is there anything we can do to help? The truth is we have very few tools to influence events in Iran, and even if we had more it's not clear we'd know how to use them. But there is one huge tool we do control that will certainly have an impact on Iran: It's called Iraq. -New York Times - 6/22/03

US general condemns Iraq failuresOne of the most experienced and respected figures in a generation of American warfare and peacekeeping yesterday accused the US administration of 'failing to prepare for the consequences of victory' in Iraq. -Guardian - 6/22/03

Sen. Brownback Discusses Iran on Fox News SundayYou have a bill, I believe, that would provide American, U.S.-government funding to these American-based Iranian-American radio and television stations that beam their signals into Iran, much to the consternation of the government, and have been encouraging the pro-democracy movement there. -Fox News - 6/22/03

France investigates Iran exilesFrench judges have placed 17 members of an Iranian exile group under formal investigation for alleged links to terrorism. -BBC - 6/22/03

More Mujahedeen return to Iran22 former People's Mujahedeen members reunited with families in Iran with aid of Iranian Rescue Association. -Middle East Online - 6/22/03

Putin refuses to cut Iran linkRussian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia would continue to help Iran develop its nuclear programme despite Washington's objections. -BBC - 6/22/03

Nuclear Ambitions Aren't New for IranBefore he was overthrown by an Islamic revolution in 1979, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi of Iran said that his country would have nuclear weapons "without a doubt and sooner than one would think." -New York Times - 6/22/03

Iranian protests fail to bring changeA series of violent night-time disturbances in the Iranian capital Tehran and in other cities over the past 10 days appears to have largely died away, but has left a tense political fallout. -BBC - 6/22/03

Stay Out of Iran The latest student protests in the Iranian capital, Tehran, have quickened the collective pulse in Washington among those eagerly awaiting "regime change" in the Islamic republic. -Geneive Abdo, Washington Post - 6/22/03

Police arrest 520 people in Tehran unrest: pressPolice have arrested 520 people, including 18 women with records for repeated offenses, in Tehran in connection with recent unrest here which also affected several other cities, press said Sunday - 6/22/03

US regards Russia, Iran as potential liquid gas suppliers The United States regards Russia and Iran as potentially the biggest suppliers of liquefied natural gas, which will help in the future to resolve the mounting problem with the supply of this product to America, said US Deputy Energy Secretary Kyle McSlarrow on Friday - 6/21/03

US highlights unanswered questions for IranThe US on Fridday claimed success in its efforts to convince the world that Iran has a nuclear weapons programme. John Bolton, US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, described a report on Iran made public this week by the International Atomic Energy Agency as a "significant step forward". -Financial Times - 6/21/03

Iranian reformers: to resign or not to resign?To resign or not to resign is the question gnawing at the reformers of Iran, today more than any time in their six-year tenure. Iran’s regional and international isolation and the extreme proximity of the business end of the Great Satan have increased the stakes of the resignation game. -Ahmad Sadri, Daily Star - 6/21/03

Rewriting Yesterday: Bush on "Revisionist Historians"The senior intelligence officer at the time, Col. Walter P. Lang, has said both D.I.A. and C.I.A. officials "were desperate to make sure that Iraq did not lose" to Iran, and "The use of gas on the battlefield by the Iraqis was not a matter of deep strategic concern." -CountePunch - 6/21/03

Antiwar Groups Turn Their Focus to Bush The Win Without War coalition and MoveOn.org, two of the biggest antiwar groups, kicked off their new campaign yesterday with a full-page ad in the New York Times that labeled Bush a ''misleader'' and demanded an independent commission to determine the truth about US intelligence on Iraq. -Common Dreams - 6/21/03

Iranian Dissident Group Labeled a Terrorist CultIn its four-decade history, the People's Mujaheddin has had many identities -- mass political movement in Iran, tank-equipped army-in-exile in Iraq, U.S.-designated terror group. Now, former members and people who watch the group say it has become essentially a cult. -Washington Post - 6/21/03

Cult-like Iranian rebels reduced to fiery protestTelevision images of these men and women writhing in fiery pain have brought to light what Iranians and Iran experts say is the real nature of this shadowy group -- a cult of personality around Rajavi and her charismatic husband Massoud. -Reuters - 6/20/03

Iran blames US for nuclear pressureTehran is seeing the highly politicised atmosphere surrounding the IAEA's report as part and parcel of a broader hostile American campaign against the Islamic republic. -BBC - 6/20/03

Iran could yet be a model for the MideastStrip away clerical authority in Iran and what you have left is secular democracy. What is more, you have democracy based on institutions that, unlike in Iraq, are considered indigenous and established by popular mandate, instead of by an occupying power. Iran could be the paradigm for religious reformation and democratic renewal across the Muslim world. -Cameron Kamran, FT - 6/20/03

EU to get tough with Iran if co-operation failsEuropean Union leaders are pulling out all stops to persuade Iran to accept enhanced nuclear inspections - otherwise they will halt trade talks as part of a more robust policy towards Tehran. -Financial Times - 6/20/03

The Ali Babas of BaghdadAs US attempts to gain control in Iraq visibly fail, BBC Two's Correspondent witnesses the looting, chaos and devastation that have become the new order in Baghdad. - 6/20/03

Pentagon Admits Iraq Guerrilla War US forces are waging a "guerrilla war" in Iraq where elements of the former regime inflict casualties almost daily, Paul Wolfowitz, deputy defense secretary said on Wednesday. -Financial Times - 6/20/03

Iran: Revolting Against the Revolution?Iran is seething with student protests, political violence, and growing anger at the radical Islamic hard-liners who dominate the country’s politics. -Heritage Foundation - 6/20/03

When Iranian American Media Shout, Iran ListensMembers of Iranian American media, accused of fomenting recent unrest in Iran, say they're no stooges of the U.S. government. But most agree that, with the help of technology like the Internet, the Iranian community in America is affecting policy in its home country. -PNS - 6/20/03

'I Just Pulled the Trigger' But a closer look at these American GIs, sweltering in the heat of an unwelcoming Iraq, reveals the glazed eyes and limp expressions of those who have witnessed a war they do not understand and have begun to resent. By their own admission these American soldiers have killed civilians without hesitation, shot wounded fighters and left others to die in agony. -Common Dreams - 6/20/03

Iran assures Putin over nuclear weaponsVladimir Putin, Russia's president, said on Friday he had received assurances from Tehran that it was not producing or trying to procure nuclear weapons. -Financial Times - 6/20/03

Iran order restored but rulers fear new protestsThe clerical establishment in Iran appears to have restored relative order to the streets of Tehran, after adopting a softly-softly approach to a week of student-led anti-regime demonstrations. Analysts believe the protesters' demands are more social than political, pointing out that more than 65 per cent of the population are under 30 years of age, many of them discontented. -Financial Times - 6/19/03

Rumblings in IranBy breathing on the spark of freedom and leading the increase of pressure on a crumbling dictatorship, we may be able to limit the spread of nuclear weapons in Iran. -New York Times - 6/19/03

Reza Pahlavi's White Revolution The Recent events in Iran have once again alerted public opinion in and outside Iran on the urgency of unity and support for the Freedom Fighters in Iran. -Ardeshir Hafezi, Germany - 6/19/03

Bush challenged over Iraq weaponsUS President George W Bush is facing fresh charges that he exaggerated the threat of Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction to win support for the war. -BBC - 6/19/03

Iraqis Were Set to Vote, but U.S. Wielded a VetoBut last week, L. Paul Bremer III, the head of the American military occupation in Iraq, unilaterally canceled what American officials here said would have been the first such election in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. -New York Times - 6/19/03

In volatile Iraq, US curbs pressL. Paul Bremer, the top US official here, says a new edict prohibiting the local media from inciting attacks on other Iraqis - and on the coalition forces - is not meant to put a stopper on the recently uncorked freedom of speech. -Christian Science Monitor - 6/19/03

How do you make a nuclear bomb?Earlier this week, Iran joined the growing list of countries suspected of developing nuclear weapons. On Monday the European Union said Iran's nuclear reactors could make the radioactive raw materials needed for a nuclear bomb and demanded weapons inspectors be allowed in. -Guardian - 6/19/03

France: Police Arrest Members Of Iran's Armed Opposition, But Why Now?The analyst says speculation about the reasons for the arrests ranges from the possibility that Paris learned the Mujahedin were using bases in France to plan an attack on Iran to the possibility that the arrests are part of Western diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to accept tighter controls on its nuclear development program. -RFE - 6/19/03

US exiles target Iran's regimeIranian exiles in the United States have played an important role in supporting the recent protests in Tehran - but their role is coming under increasing scrutiny. -BBC - 6/19/03

Bush warns Iran on nuclear weapons President George Bush yesterday told Iranians protesting against the government in Tehran that "America stands squarely by their side", and warned Iran not to develop nuclear weaponry. The warnings were similar to those issued to Iraq in the build-up to the recent war, although no reference was made to military action. -Guardian - 6/19/03

French Raid Throws Exiled Iranian Mujaheddin e-Khalq Into SpotlightMost Iranians despise Rajavi for siding with Saddam Hussein during his nine-year war with Iran. The European Union has also labeled the group a terrorist organization. To Bush administration hawks who see little reason to support President Mohammed Khatami, though, the MEK might look like a potent tool against Iran’s fundamentalist rulers. -Eurasianet - 6/19/03

Iran President vows zero tolerance against 'vigilantes' President Mohammad Khatami on Wednesday pledged that the Iranian government would not tolerate vigilante groups which have violently assailed protesting students since last week, but he defended police for confronting rioters - 6/19/03

Powell Backs Iran Protests, But Says Talks Are Possible Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said today the United States encourages and supports demonstrations against the Iranian government. But he also held open the possibility of restarting secret direct talks with Iranian officials that were canceled after the bombings of Western residential compounds in Saudi Arabia last month. -Washington Post - 6/18/03

Iran: Who Are The Vigilantes Fighting Pro-Reform Protesters?Pro-reform protesters in Iran haven't just got the police and security forces to worry about. They also face beatings from motorcycle-riding hard-liners wielding clubs and chains. Who are these so-called plainclothes vigilantes? -RFE - 6/18/03

Analysis: Iran's mullahs in a corner In Tehran, demonstrations against the government have raged for more than seven straight days -- and spread to other cities -- forcing the regime to bring in outside militias to attempt to put down popular unrest because the local police have refused. -UPI - 6/18/03

Three dead in Baghdad violenceGrowing tension between Iraqis and occupying US troops in Baghdad has flared into violence, leaving two protesters and one US soldier dead. -BBC - 6/18/03

Iran exiles set themselves on fireTwo Iranian women have set themselves on fire in Paris in protest against a mass round-up of Iranian opposition figures in France. -BBC - 6/18/03

Heavy hand of America fans the Taliban embers into life The Taliban were supposed to have disappeared from Afghanistan 18 months ago, but in recent weeks they have begun a comeback with a series of primitive but deadly attacks on officials and the government's military allies. -Guardian - 6/18/03

"Orson's last Sigh...": Orson Welles' Testimonial Film made with Iranian co-producers To Iranians Welles inimitable Voice is for ever associated to the 1971 documentary film on the Persepolis Celebrations marking 25 centuries of Persian Kingship. The King of the Silver Screen was also to produce two other personal projects in the years that followed with the help of Iranian producers, one of which was also to become Orson Welles last and unfinished film -Darius Kadivar - 6/18/03

Life in Tehran: Catch the Metro Please!The one way ticket has a fixed price for all destinations and costs 65 Rials or about 8 Cents. The stations are still clean, although I cannot say the same for the stairs. But the best thing about it all was that it was so cool there! I would even be happy to pay and go down to the metro station just to skip the summer heat above, and come back up once I have cooled off! -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 6/18/03

Bush pressed to pursue 'regime change' in IranConservative US Republicans, backed by some Democrats, are seizing on anti-government protests in Tehran as an opportunity to press the Bush administration to adopt "regime change" in Iran as official policy. -Financial Times - 6/18/03

Straw warns against interference in IranThe foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today gave Washington's hawks notice that Britain would not back interference in Iran, but also urged the Iranian government to let weapons inspectors investigate suspicions that it is developing nuclear weapons. -Guardian - 6/17/03

Analysis: What is US Iran policy?Iran has accused the United States of "blatant interference" in its internal affairs, after President George W Bush voiced support for student protestors there. -BBC - 6/17/03

Hope on the streets of TehranTwo young Iranians in Tehran told BBC News Online of their experiences of the protests... "When the time is right we will all join. I can smell it in the air. This time is different." -BBC - 6/17/03

Former Bush Intelligence Insider Assails Counterterrorism Tactics"The administration wasn't matching its deeds to its words in the war on terrorism. They're making us less secure, not more secure," said Beers, who until now has remained largely silent about leaving his National Security Council job as special assistant to the president for combating terrorism. -Common Dreams - 6/17/03

Iran missiles a 'potential threat to 20m Russians'Iran could by 2006 mount a nuclear warhead on a missile with the potential to threaten 20m Russians living in the country's south-western region, according to a new study by the PIR Centre, a respected Russian non-governmental arms control organisation. -Financial Times - 6/17/03

Vigilantes Crack Down Against Protests in IranYet observers say it is unlikely that the protests will bring about tangible change soon or spiral into a revolution like the one in 1979 that brought the clerics to power. The most the demonstrations can do, they say, is to warn the hard-liners that yielding to the public's demands is their only means of survival. -Farnaz Fassihi, WSJ - 6/17/03

Iran's angry young adults erupt in political protestAfter almost a week of protest, the violent demonstrations rocking the Iranian capital each night are limited in size and confined to less than a square mile. And they remain a leaderless expression of anger. But what started out as a paltry student demonstration is now loaded with significance for the future of the Islamic Republic. -Christian Science Monitor - 6/16/03

Iran urged to accept tougher N-checksIran has been urged to sign up to strengthened international inspection of its nuclear activities by the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog and the European Union. -BBC - 6/16/03

New warning on Iran nuclear threatIran may be able to produce a nuclear missile within three years unless Moscow steps up pressure to limit its military programme, an influential Russian research institute warned on Monday. -Financial Times - 6/16/03

Ex-spokeswoman for hostage-takers says U.S. misreads Iran"Americans don't understand that there is a democratic process going on here, openly, especially under Khatami. We have no need for outsiders to come in and talk about freedom of speech, prisoners' rights or women's rights. These things are surfacing every day. There's nothing behind the scenes. Everything is discussed openly by the people. In fact, this is one of the most open societies in the world." -St. Louis Post Dispatch - 6/16/03

Iran: Ripe for Revolution?Five days of student protests in Iran's capital have brought a smile to the Bush administration. Will the ruling Islamic clerics soon be ousted by an Iranian people-power revolution? Not likely. -Christian Science Monitor - 6/16/03

European Cultural Centers in Tehran There are many European cultural centers in Tehran belonging to different embassies many of them are involved in language teachings here. Among these one shines with destination in my book as they truly do a lot of hard work in promoting culture. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 6/16/03

Iranian FM confers with a US delegation of Abrahamic ReligionsA visiting high-ranking religious delegation including Cardinal McCaric from Washington and a number of Christian, Muslim and Jewish professors from US universities held talks with Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on religious understanding - 6/16/03

Sixth night of Iran protestsThe protests came as an influential group of Iranian dissidents issued an unprecedented declaration defending the right to criticise their leaders. -BBC - 6/16/03

Bread and Life Compared to the life of Man on earth, consumption of bread as the main source of food for the majority of people throughout the world is only a recent event, a time span of six thousands years, that is since the first group of humans settled down and discovered agriculture. -Dr. Nadjmabadi, Tehran - 6/16/03

Ayatollah urged to abandon 'supreme leader' statusMore than 250 Iranian intellectuals today called on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to relinquish his status as Iran's "supreme leader" and abandon the principle of being God's representative on earth. -Guardian - 6/16/03

Rafsanjani offers threats and olive branch to the USAkbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran's former president, yesterday warned the US to stop inciting anti-government protests in Tehran and enter instead into negotiations that he indicated could help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and contribute to stability in Iraq. -Financial Times - 6/15/03

An Interview with Hussein Sabet, Famous Iranian Hotel Owner at Canary and Kish IslandsHussein Sabet is an Iranian reciting the songs of pride and the Persian culture for the fans of the Persian civilization. His soul of affection and optimism has given him a sense of patriotism and kindness toward Iranians. He built up the mammoth complex Persepolis next to the Darius Grand Hotel and a dolphinarium on Kish Island to impress the world with the Iranians' tendency of modernism. -Jahane Havanavardi va Gardeshgari - 6/14/03

Gunfire heard during clashes in TehranGunfire was heard in central Tehran on Friday night as Iranian students and other stone-throwing protesters clashed with security forces in a fourth night of anti-government demonstrations. -Financial Times - 6/14/03

USS Liberty: How past relates to the futureIt is surely ironic that while the Bush administration puts out lurid warnings concerning the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea, America is the only nation, which has ever actually used them, and is abnormally silent when it comes to Israel's nuclear arsenal. -Gulf News - 6/14/03

U.S. Ponders Pro-Democracy Farsi Web Sites for IranIf it went forward, the idea could be funded out of $100 million that the United States has set aside this year for its Middle East Partnership Initiative, a plan to promote the rule of law and democratic and economic reform in the region. -Reuters - 6/14/03

First four days critical after operation to separate Iranian twins Dr Benjamin Carson, director of paediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center in the United States, made the assessment at a press conference held in Baltimore on Friday to announce his participation in the surgery to separate the twins in Singapore next month - 6/14/03

Uneasy calm on Tehran streetsThe streets of the Iranian capital Tehran are quiet once more after a fourth night of violence in which pro-democracy demonstrators clashed with hardline supporters of the country's clerical leadership. -BBC - 6/14/03

The Reformers: Growing frustration on the path to the futureThese are worrying times for Iran’s reformers. There is growing popular frustration at their lack of progress in liberalising the Islamic system, America has given up on them, and there are fears that Washington’s hostile rhetoric towards the country will only galvanise Iran’s dour old guard. -TIMES - 6/13/03

Opponents of Iranian reform may soften stanceIran's powerful conserv-atives are sending signals that they could temper their opposition to domestic reforms demanded by President Mohamed Khatami, in an apparent attempt to fend off rising US pressure and mounting public frustration. -Financial Times - 6/13/03

Clampdown deters Iran protestsThe Iranian capital, Tehran, has seen a third night of student protests against the Islamic authorities - but only a few hundred demonstrators turned out. -BBC - 6/13/03

Washington 'applauds' protests in TehranThe US on Thursday congratulated Iranians for holding anti-government protests in Tehran, saying it supported their "aspirations to live in freedom". -Financial Times - 6/13/03

Rafsanjani warns Iranian students against US plotsAddressing worshipers at the congregational Friday prayers at Tehran University campus, Rafsanjani said that the recent incidents stem from the students' anxieties. They believe universities are going to be privatized. - 6/13/03

Iran and Mideast peaceWith the fall of Saddam Hussein, no regime in the Middle East poses a greater threat to President Bush's road map for Middle East peace than that in Iran. -Washington Times - 6/13/03

Iran Questions U.S. Over Iraq Refugees The United States and Britain are delaying the return of tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees who fled to Iran during the reign of Saddam Hussein, a senior Iranian official said Thursday. -AP - 6/13/03

Who's Meddling Who?L. Paul Bremer, head of the provisional US authority in Iraq, has accused Iran of meddling. There may be a certain irony to the head of an occupying authority from the United States accusing Iraq's Shiite Muslim neighbor of meddling... but if there is, it's escaping Bremer. -Mother Jones - 6/13/03

A tested theocracyMore unrest on the streets of Tehran. Is America pulling the strings? -Economist - 6/13/03

Tehran protesters call for Khamenei's head Hundreds of demonstrators taking part in a third night of anti-government protests in Tehran called today for the execution of Iran's conservative supreme leader - an audacious move under the country's clerical regime, which has threatened a crackdown. -Guardian - 6/13/03

Speak up for the Iranian students, Mr. PresidentThe history of U.S.-Iran relations for the past 50 years has been plagued by a series of well-intentioned, but ill-advised U.S. policies toward Iran -- all of which later came back to haunt American interests in the Middle East. America needs to break free from this vicious cycle of misguided polices. The solution is to support Iranian students, and the time is now. -Reza Ladjevardian, Texas - 6/13/03

Iran protest rally at student dorm turns violent Hundreds of students residing at the Tehran University hostel held a gathering at the central square of the hostel complex at the invitation of the Islamic Association of Tehran University and the Medical Sciences University. - 6/13/03

Iranians protest for second nightThousands of Iranians have spent a second day protesting against their clerical leaders, clashing with hard-line vigilante groups in the capital, Teheran. -BBC - 6/12/03

Bush struggles to salvage road mapGeorge Bush yesterday led a desperate effort to salvage his Middle East road map, only a week after pledging his personal commitment to brokering peace. -Guardian - 6/12/03

U.S. Can't Rule Out N.Korea Strike, Perle Says The United States should be ready to smash North Korea's Yongbyon reactor if necessary to keep Pyongyang from trafficking in nuclear weapons, an influential member of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's advisory panel said on Wednesday. -Common Dreams - 6/12/03

Republicans Limit Probe of Iraq Intelligence Republicans in Congress on Wednesday rebuffed calls by Democrats for a full-blown investigation into whether the Bush administration misread or inflated the threats posed by Iraq before going to war. -Common Dreams - 6/12/03

Iran working on nuclear bomb, says Rumsfeld Mr Rumsfeld's remarks, delivered during a visit to Germany, appeared to be aimed at exerting pressure on Tehran and the UN's nuclear monitoring agency, which meets next week in Vienna to decide how to respond to Iran's failure to honour nuclear safeguards. His intervention also appeared to advance the next project of Pentagon hawks: regime change in Tehran. -Guardian - 6/12/03

Technology finds its way into Iran's Mosques!Today I went to a "khatem" (a public memorial ceremony) which was held in a mosque in central Tehran. This is a popular mosque with middle class people of Tehran because it can accommodate large number of people at both its ladies & gentlemen sections. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 6/12/03

Supreme leader says US behind unrest in Iran"The enemies bluntly support those adventurers who can become their mercenaries by perturbing people's security. Thus, the whole nation, the youth and and officials in particular, must remain vigilant," the supreme leader told a gathering of jubilant people in Varamin, south of Tehran. - 6/12/03

Iranians protest against clericsMore than 1,000 people have clashed with riot police in the Iranian capital Tehran, in the first major protest against the Islamic regime for more than six months. -BBC - 6/11/03

Analysis: U.S. faces Iran dilemmaThe United States may be angling to draw a new bead on Iran, the second compass point in the "axis of evil" and a major sponsor of international terrorism, with the toppling of Iraq's Saddam Hussein and the earlier excising of the Taliban in Afghanistan. -Washington Times - 6/11/03

Blix: I was Smeared by the Pentagon Hans Blix, the UN chief weapons inspector, lashed out last night at the "bastards" who have tried to undermine him throughout the three years he has held his high-profile post. -Common Dreams - 6/11/03

Israeli attack on Hamas: a blow to road map?The Israeli army failed in its attempt to kill a senior leader from the militant group Hamas Tuesday, but the missile strikes succeeded in casting further doubt on the US-backed road map for peace and deepening Palestinian distrust of Israeli intentions. -Christian Science Monitor - 6/11/03

Bremer attacks Iran for 'meddling' in Iraqi politicsThe US civil administrator in Iraq on Tuesday criticised "meddling and interference" by neighbouring Iran, as relations between the US-led coalition and an Iranian-backed Iraqi political party continued to deteriorate. -Financial Times - 6/11/03

EU to join US in pressing TehranEuropean Union diplomats on Tuesday said they remained dissatisfied with Iran's response to questions about its nuclear power programme after talks in Tehran last week and would work closely with Washington to press for an enhanced inspection regime. -Financial Times - 6/11/03

Nuclear Pollution in the Caspian Sea: Introduction of several studies Nuclear pollution is one of the less known and rarely discussed dimensions of the serious pollution problems in the Caspian Sea. At the same time, the radioactive contamination is one of the most damaging and dangerous types of pollution in the world. -Bahman Aghai Diba - 6/11/03

Russia grows wary of Iran nukesEven as a leaked report on Iran's nuclear program cites a string of safeguard "failures," Iran is enhancing its cooperation with UN inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and trying to mollify deepening concerns in Russia and the US that it harbors secret nuclear-weapons ambitions. -Christian Science Monitor - 6/10/03

Bush's New War Threat: Is Iran the Next Target?Washington's sabre-rattling toward Iran is part of the U.S. drive not just to dominate the Persian Gulf, but to prevent the emergence of any rival at a global level. -CounterPunch - 6/10/03

Pressure Alone Will Not Deter Iran from Its Nuclear PathIf the aim is to persuade Iran to abandon interest in acquiring nuclear weapons, Washington will need a strategy to convince Iranian nationalists that their country will gain security, respect, and a prominent role in post-war politics in the Persian Gulf. -YaleGlobal - 6/10/03

U.S. says Iran harbors al Qaeda 'associate'A top al Qaeda associate in Iraq has fled to neighboring Iran, where he and several senior al Qaeda leaders apparently remain under the protection of the Iranian government, U.S. intelligence officials say. -Washington Times - 6/10/03

The question in Kabul: to rebuild or start afresh?Three decades of almost constant war and crushing poverty have left much of the Afghan capital in a pitiable, almost uninhabitable state. Instead of rebuilding it, argue top Afghan leaders, why not start anew? -Christian Science Monitor - 6/10/03

Tremors jolt Iranian city of ShirazTwo earthquakes measuring 3.5 and 3.6 degrees on the open-ended Richter scale rocked Shiraz, in the southern province of Fars, on Tuesday - 6/10/03

U.S. Seeks Exemption from War Crimes Court With U.S. troops deployed in more countries than ever, the Bush administration is pressing the UN Security Council to exempt all U.S. troops and officials from the jurisdiction of the new International Criminal Court (ICC) for a second straight year. -Common Dreams - 6/10/03

Neocons lied us into war – will they get away with it twice?The UN notification that the Iranian nuclear program is in violation of international protocols – variously interpreted by Tehran and Washington – should put us all on notice: in the case of Iran, the by now ritualized process preceding U.S. military intervention has begun. -Antiwar.com - 6/10/03

Bogus Intelligence, Foreign Policy and Crying Wolf-owitz When the question of the Bushehr nuclear facilities came up in media discussions about 10 months ago, I suggested bearing in mind the possibility of politicized "evidence" and "intelligence" at the service of agenda-ridden policy advisors. -Fareed Marjaee - 6/10/03

Senate panel questions Bush’s policies on IranLawmakers of both parties on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are questioning whether President Bush has a clear policy toward Iran, which has risen to the top of the foreign policy agenda. -The Hill - 6/10/03

Dangers of an aggressive US approach to IranIf the US commits itself both to regime change and to preventing Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons by all means, including strikes on Iran's nuclear sites, a vicious circle of pressure and retaliation may develop, ending in full-scale war. -Financial Times - 6/9/03

Iran in the crosshairs and at the crossroadsThe confrontational stance between Iran and the United States is seemingly coming to a head now after a quarter century of unnecessarily hostile and mutually counterproductive relationships. -Kam Zarrabi - 6/9/03

UAE-Iran ties to help settle regional disputes: UAE envoyUnited Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Iran Khalifa Shahin al-Marri on Monday underlined the need for further expansion of Tehran-Abu Dhabi trade cooperation and stressed that friendly relations between the two states will help settle the existing regional disputes - 6/9/03

Iran greets Iraqi Shia militantThe Iranian Government has invited a militant Iraqi Shia leader, Moqtada Sadr, to the country despite warnings from the US that Iran should stop meddling in Iraqi affairs. -BBC - 6/9/03

Expanding Role of US Defense Department Spurs ConcernsThe Department of Defense's responsibilities have grown beyond anything that military commanders had imagined at the end of the Cold War, according to national security specialists; some have voiced worry that the department's expanding roles could tax the Pentagon's resources or compromise some civilian authorities. -Boston Globe - 6/9/03

Child sickness 'soars' in IraqThe number of children in Iraq suffering from diarrhoea and related diseases appears to have risen dramatically in the past year, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) said on Sunday. -BBC - 6/9/03

North Korea admits to nuclear plans North Korea today made its first official admission that it intended to build up a "nuclear deterrent" in a further escalation of its stand-off with the United States. -Guardian - 6/9/03

NIAC helps Iranian-Americans in California become influential On May 31 and June 1, Iranian-Americans in California attended a workshop conducted by Marjan Ehsassi, NIAC Executive Director, and Trita Parsi, NIAC President. The workshops were NIAC's first activities in the California area, and the focus was to educate Iranian-Americans on how to become influential in American political life. - 6/9/03

Iraqis fear rise of clericsMuslim clerics in Iraq have been taking advantage of the political vacuum left by Saddam Hussein to try to impose their own strict version of Islam. -BBC - 6/9/03

NIAC helps Iranian-Americans in California become influential On May 31 and June 1, Iranian-Americans in California attended a workshop conducted by Marjan Ehsassi, NIAC Executive Director, and Trita Parsi, NIAC President. The workshops were NIAC's first activities in the California area, and the focus was to educate Iranian-Americans on how to become influential in American political life. - 6/9/03

Iran declared champion of Asian wrestling games The Islamic Republic of Iran on Sunday by winning seven gold medals, four silvers and two bronze medals was declared the champion of the 16th Asian Senior Freestyle and Greco Roman Style Wrestling Championship in New Delhi - 6/8/03

Iran denies any alleged breach in its nuclear energy program"According to Iran's earlier commitments to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Islamic Republic of Iran has not committed any breach," Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told reporters after attending a parliamentary questioning. - 6/8/03

An American TerroristSalahuddin is clearly looking for a way out of Iran. The events of September 11th and the new paradigm for the revolutionary—suicide—have left him behind. He is restless, and ill at ease in his adopted country. -New Yorker - 6/8/03

‘Mini-nukes’ and the paradox of US nuclear policy On the agenda of the Bush-Putin meeting in St. Petersburg was, among other issues, a strategic nuclear weapons reduction agreement and an accord on the importance of preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). -Daily Star - 6/8/03

Iraqis' cupboards still bareThe resumption of Iraq's food ration programme has been seen as a sign of returning normalcy after the US-led invasion. But for Iraqis, depending on handouts, even after 12 years of sanctions, is anything but normal. -BBC - 6/8/03

Intelligence Historian Says CIA 'Buckled' on Iraq The CIA bowed to Bush administration pressure to hype the threat of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs ahead of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, a leading national security historian concluded in a detailed study of the spy agency's public pronouncements. -Common Dreams - 6/8/03

Civic ResponsibilityWe Iranians grew up in a culture where we were pushed to learn our three Rs (Writing, Reading, and Arithmetic) very well. However, no one encouraged us to learn about the fourth R (Civic or Social Responsibility). -Mohammad Ala - 6/8/03

Iranians bring back some Persian history"The glory of ancient Persia has been revived. It is the rebirth of Persepolis," tourist Hasan Ezzati said after visiting the new Dariush Grand Hotel on the Persian Gulf tourist island of Kish. The name reflects the modern Farsi pronunciation of Darius, the ancient king. -USA Today - 6/8/03

Rumblings in Azerbaijan -- Bush's Hawks Eye Northern IranWashington officials continue to look for a way to dislodge the clerical leadership of Iran’s Islamic Republic. The latest ploy may be to inflame passions in the most politically active part of Iran-Azerbaijan. -William Beeman, PNS - 6/7/03

Iran Backs Coalition Claims of Hidden Iraqi WMD An Iranian government official with ties to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Tehran had received intelligence indicating that the government of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was indeed hiding weapons of mass destruction (WMD)from UN inspectors. -NewsMax - 6/7/03

Russian Ministries: No Need for New Iran DealThe Nuclear Power and Foreign ministries teamed up Thursday to declare that Russia will supply nuclear fuel to Iran even if it refuses to agree to international inspections at short notice. -Moscow Times - 6/6/03

Experts Warn Congress About Iranian Exile GroupsIranian opposition groups seeking Washington's help to oust the country's Islamic theocracy could be as dangerous as the regime they want overturned, say Middle East experts who urge lawmakers to think twice before funding exiles in the United States. -Fox News - 6/6/03

Iranians don't need American kingmakersTalk of regime change in Iran has been spreading within the Bush administration, particularly after the recent bombings in Saudi Arabia, which may have been directed by an Iran-based Al Qaeda cell. But the administration would simply repeat past U.S. mistakes in dealing with Iran if it followed the advice of those calling loudest for American intervention, whose ties with the family of the deposed shah represent despotism rather than democracy for Iranians. -IHT - 6/6/03

Iran link to attack against US troopsUS forces in Iraq said yesterday they had arrested - and continued to hold - 20 members of the Iranian-backed Badr Corps whom they suspect of organising at least one rocket attack on US forces. -Financial Times - 6/6/03

Bay Area Iranian-American Voter Association's first fundraiser a successThe Bay Area Iranian-American Voter Association (BAIVOTER), an Iranian-American voter education and advocacy organization in the San Francisco Bay Area, held its first fundraising event on May 18, 2003 in San Francisco to encourage members of the local community to lend their financial support to the eight-month old organization. - 6/6/03

Blix criticises weapons intelligence The United Nations' chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, has hit out at the quality of intelligence given to him by the United States and Britain on Iraq's alleged chemical and biological weapons programmes. -Guardian - 6/6/03

Nuclear inspectors return to IraqThe two-week mission - from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - will be limited because the United States has imposed restrictions on the inspectors. -BBC - 6/6/03

A time for unity among IraniansWhat unites those of us who are opposed to the theocracy is far greater than what divides us. Yet, we have allowed our differences to dictate our actions, allowing the theocracy to take advantage of our lack of unity. We need to unite behind a set of principles and ideals, not an individual. Time of individual worship has long passed. -Reza Ladjevardian - 6/6/03

An unlikely US ally?The Mojahedin Khalq Organization does not at first sight appear likely to gain US support. But with the hawks looking to raise the stakes against Tehran, Roger Howard argues that it might prove useful to them. -MEI - 6/5/03

Ex-president asks "arrogant" US to act wisely over Iran"Our problems with America, if Washington does not treat Iran with arrogance and pride and gives back the country's rights, are solvable," the former president said at the late Imam Khomeini's mausoleum to commemorate his 14th demise anniversary. - 6/5/03

ANALYSIS-Blair unlikely to push for Iran showdownTony Blair risked his political future when he joined George W. Bush's war on Iraq, but as U.S. hawks turn on neighbouring Iran the British premier may have less appetite to participate in another Gulf showdown. -Reuters - 6/5/03

Britain Must Not Let Iran Become The Next IraqWhen Labour took office in Britain in 1997 I initiated a policy of constructive engagement with the reformist government, which has been skillfully continued by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. It bore fruit in its renunciation of the fatwa on Salman Rushdie, and it has been helpful in providing credibility as people who could build a positive relationship with the outside world. -Robin Cook, IHT - 6/5/03

So many governments to overthrow, so little timeThe Bush administration is reported to be considering "destabilizing" - in other words, covertly overthrowing - the Iranian government because of its suspected ties to Al Qaeda terrorist groups. This would be precisely the wrong thing for the United States to do in Iran. -Christian Science Monitor - 6/5/03

US may support controversial Iranian group An armed Iranian exile group listed as a terrorist organization by the USA and European Union may now get US support to help topple Iran's ruling regime. The Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) has its European headquarters in Norway. -Aftenposten, Norway - 6/5/03

Confusion on Russian nuclear deal with IranConflicting statements on Wednesday over Russia's intentions to sell nuclear fuel to Iran cast doubt on the efficacy of US efforts to block the Islamic republic's suspected nuclear weapons programme. -Financial Times - 6/5/03

The truth about lies and deceptions (Reza Pahlavi) I think that mainstream politicians, even high-ranking Republican Senators in US Senate, do not take Pahlavi seriously. Interest in Pahlavi is limited to AEI (American Enterprise Institute), AIPAC (American Israeli Political Affairs Committee), Pentagon hawks and a few obsolete characters ... -Kave Pourmand - 6/5/03

U.S. Talking to Wrong GuyIf the U.S. wants to stop the nuclear cooperation promptly, it should talk compensation with the real people in charge, not irrelevant government officials, including President Vladimir Putin. -Moscow Times - 6/5/03

CrueltyAnd perhaps this is the very existential state that the people of Iran are now facing, due to the threat of the possibility of having to experience a fate similar to that the people of Afghanistan and Iraq experienced recently. Or at least this is my state of "social" being. Yes, I am very scared to be a witness of my country's demolition, and of the death of my countrymen and women. -Roya Monajem, Tehran - 6/5/03

Fustal: English given Iranian lessonAsian champions Iran stormed into the semi-finals of the KL World Futsal (five-a-side) tournament in style when they made short work of England 14-1 in a Group D match at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil here yesterday. -Star, Malaysia - 6/5/03

Pentagon Team on Iran Comes Under FireA small Pentagon planning office under fire for its alleged manipulation of intelligence on Iraq is also dealing with other countries in the Persian Gulf, including Iran, raising concerns among critics about the shaping of Bush administration policy in this sensitive region. -Forward - 6/5/03

U.S. grappler's trip to Iran is eye-opening -- for both sidesThe United States' newest ambassador returned from the Middle East last week, happy to have won his battles, happier to have made new friends. To be fair, Mike Ellsworth wasn't so much worried about his opponents at the Takhti Cup wrestling tournament in Sanandaj, Iran... -CNN/SI - 6/4/03

The Day of the Jackals: On War and OccupationMesopotamia. Babylon. The Tigris and Euphrates. How many children, in how many classrooms, over how many centuries, have hang-glided through the past, transported on the wings of these words? And now the bombs have fallen, incinerating and humiliating that ancient civilization. -Arundhati Roy, CounterPunch - 6/4/03

Iran presents a delicate issue for the U.S.It may prove more harmful to push a hard line on Iran now than later with the current situation in the Middle East. If the Iranians feel threatened, they may try to increase efforts in Iraq, Israel and Afghanistan to obstruct U.S. goals to gain leverage against the Bush administration. -The Battalion - 6/4/03

Poll Shows U.S. Isolation: In War's Wake, Hostility and Mistrust The poll of more than 15,000 people in 20 countries and the Palestinian Authority, conducted in May by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, also showed a significant loss of faith in two major international institutions created out of the ashes of World War II - the United Nations and NATO. -Common Dreams - 6/4/03

Chirac tries to make best of a bad jobAgainst a backdrop of violent protests and amid air thick with condemnation from outraged aid agencies, chairman Jacques Chirac was battling yesterday to hold together the uneasy truce among the G8 industrial nations following the bitter dispute over Iraq. -Guardian - 6/4/03

What's inside Iran?What did trigger Uncle Sam's wrath and words on "destabilizing" the government in Iran a few days ago? Some believe it was a red line crossed by the mullahs. -Washington Times - 6/4/03

Pentagon officials meet with regime foeDefense officials acknowledged yesterday they have spoken to Mahmud Ali Chehregani, who heads the Southern Azerbaijan National Awakeness Movement (SANAM) operating inside Iran, but emphasized their meetings were not aimed at supporting or encouraging a change in Iran's government. -Washington Times - 6/4/03

Iran warns US against attackIran's supreme leader has warned the United States that any attack against his country would be "suicide for the aggressor". -BBC - 6/4/03

Diplomacy is best option with IranAmerica's three reasonable requirements from Iran are that it not support terror, not build threatening weapons, and not subvert Iraq's teetering movement toward democracy. Vigorous diplomacy should put these requirements front and center with the Iranian regime. -Christian Science Monitor - 6/4/03

Iran President suggests democratic capacity of Constitution should be usedReformers believe that the matter of the constitutional rights of the people should not be mixed up with the US threats against Iran. "The constitutional rights of the people is something and the US threat against Iran is something else. We can not ask the people to overlook their constitutional rights because of the US threats to attack Iran." - 6/3/03

Schroeder vows "Iran will not be second Iraq"German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and leaders of the G8 industrial nations on Tuesday pledged that Iran will not be attacked over its alleged weapons of mass destruction - 6/3/03

Blix report fuels doubts on weapons of mass destructionUS and British leaders were on Monday scrambling to explain why they had so far failed to find evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction as United Nations weapons inspectors reported that Baghdad was handing over fresh information just hours before the US-led air strikes that began the war. -Financial Times - 6/3/03

Transcripts Raise Alarm Across NATO Transcripts of a private conversation between Jack Straw and Colin Powell expressing serious doubts about the reliability of intelligence on Iraq's banned weapons program are being circulated in western government circles where there is a growing feeling that officials were deceived into supporting the Iraq war. -Common Dreams - 6/3/03

Russia 'halting Iran nuclear help'Russia is to stop exporting nuclear material to Iran following its refusal to sign up to an international protocol, a senior British official has said. -BBC - 6/3/03

The KamkarsIn the west they are still largely unknown. But out in the spectacular area of mountains and wilderness that stretches from the north-west corner of their native Iran across to the Kurdish areas of Iraq and Turkey, the Kamkar family are superstars. -Guardian - 6/3/03

Iran Air to overhaul jumbo jetsIran's aviation fleet is mostly comprised of American-made Boeings, purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, the US unilateral sanctions have prevented the Islamic Republic from properly maintaining the planes, thus forcing Iran to turn to Russian and Ukrainian planes. - 6/3/03

Nuclear warning for 'rogue states' The leading industrial states last night sharply stepped up the pressure on North Korea and Iran to abandon covert nuclear weapons programmes when they instructed the two alleged "rogue states" to comply with the global drive against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. -Guardian - 6/3/03

Iran will be the test for European foreign policyBut the real test case for the EU's foreign policy credibility will be Iran. Is Europe prepared to attach tough conditions to its policy of engagement, designed to encourage the "reformers" in Tehran? How the EU handles Iran will also determine whether it is willing and able to respond adequately to new security threats such as that of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. -Financial Times - 6/3/03

Iran: Evolution or OccupationSoon after the occupation of Iraq by American forces, there has been a surge in the activities of the US neo-conservative groups including Jewish lobbyists and monarchists represented by the Reza Pahlavi, to give the impression that the Iranians are anxiously waiting for liberation by foreign forces. -Akbar Nouruzi, Australia - 6/2/03

Internal Tussle Plays out amid U.S. ThreatsThe suspension of contacts between the United States and Iran, in the wake of Washington's charges that Tehran is harbouring al-Qaeda members, is the latest prism through which to view the differences between the government and the public on what political road the country should be taking. -IPS - 6/2/03

Australia's hardline asylum policies Australia is the only developed country that forces indefinite mandatory detention on asylum seekers. Earlier this month a television programme exposed the realities of life inside a now defunct detention centre, sparking renewed debate over Australia's asylum system -Guardian - 6/2/03

Powell's doubts over CIA intelligence on Iraq prompted him to set up secret review Mr Powell's team removed dozens of pages of alleged evidence about Iraq's banned weapons and ties to terrorists from a draft of his speech, US News and World Report says today. At one point, he became so angry at the lack of adequate sourcing to intelligence claims that he declared: "I'm not reading this. This is bullshit," according to the magazine. -Guardian - 6/2/03

Iran condemns US court ruling on involvement in Lebanon bombing"It seems that certain circles in the US are beginning to resort to whatever means they can to increase pressure against Iran and to further push forward their hostile policies against Iran, even if this cost the credibility of the US judicial apparatus" - 6/2/03

US and UK drop Iraq national conference planThe occupying powers in Iraq on Sunday ditched a plan to create a 300-plus member national conference, which would have elected an administration in mid-July. -Financial Times - 6/2/03

Washington’s likely plans to restore the Iranian monarchy are foolhardyThe Bush administration apparently has a handpicked American “plumber” ready to go in Iran, much like Ahmed Chalabi in Iraq. This is Sohrab “Rob” Sobhani, an Iranian-American associated with the neoconservatives in Washington. With Reza Pahlavi as Shah, the 40-ish Sobhani would presumably be prime minister or president. -William O. Beeman, Daily Star - 6/2/03

Who Is Next? - Return to the Peacock ThroneIf the neo-cons and their cohorts are successful, then history would indeed repeat itself, as Hegel contended. But as Marx added, the first time is a tragedy and the second time is a farce. -Sasan Fayazmanesh, CounterPunch - 6/2/03

Iranian hawks feed on US angerContrary to the assumptions of hawks in Washington, even the most radical Iranian dissidents do not believe their country is on the verge of revolution, though they point to rising dissatisfaction and building social pressures. -Guardian - 6/1/03

Iran ''neo-conservatives'' seek to defuse US tensionModerate conservatives in Iran have made tentative approaches to Washington in recent weeks aimed at defusing mounting Iran-U.S. tensions and preserving the future of clerical rule, sources and analysts said on Sunday. -Reuters - 6/1/03

A Tangled Web of Neocon Lies: The Frauds of WarYou attribute Shiite hostility to the foreign troops to Iranian interference. (Shiite Iran has limited influence among the Shiite community of course; but it doesn't shape their feelings towards occupation. But this is a good argument for regime change in Iran, which you consider, and want the American people to consider, evil.) -CounterPunch - 6/1/03

Revealed: the cluster bombs that litter IraqThe shocking extent of unexploded cluster bombs dropped by American and British planes, which litter Iraq eight weeks after the conflict, is revealed in detail for the first time today. -Guardian - 6/1/03

Locked Up in Land of the FreeInmates: The United States has surpassed Russia as the nation with the highest percentage of citizens behind bars. -Common Dreams - 6/1/03

Iran, EU to sign agreement for improved economic, political tiesIran and the European Union in the fourth round of their talks on a Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) along with political negotiations, scheduled for June 1-3, reiterated their commitment to continue the process of dialogue and engagement for the purpose. - 6/1/03